Chicken à la Crema
Description
Chef John's chicken à la crema sauce is made with sautéed mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and crème fraîche. One bite of this recipe and it will be repeat.
Ingredients
•
2 tablespoons olive oil
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1 (4 1/2 pound) whole chicken, quartered
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2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
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1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
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1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
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3 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1 tablespoon chili powder
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2 teaspoons ground cumin
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1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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4 cups chicken broth
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1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes
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1 large bay leaf
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1 1/2 cups creme fraiche, divided
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2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
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1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Directions
1
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken; sear until well browned on both sides and fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl.
2
Reduce heat to medium; add mushrooms, onion, and salt to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add poblanos, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until poblanos begin to soften, about 3 minutes.
3
Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and bay leaf; increase heat to high. Stir in 1 cup crème fraîche and fresh oregano; bring to a simmer. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven, nestling chicken into broth to cover. Reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 ¼ hours.
4
Transfer chicken to a bowl using tongs; set aside until cool enough to handle. Increase heat to medium-high; cook until braising liquid reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes, skimming fat from the surface as it cooks.
5
Meanwhile, remove and discard chicken skin and bones (or save to make stock). Break meat into large or small pieces; save any edible drippings.
6
Reduce heat to low; add chicken meat and drippings to sauce. Simmer until chicken has absorbed flavor from sauce, about 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in chopped cilantro and remaining ½ cup crème fraîche. Taste; adjust salt and seasonings.